Trolley controller



c. w. SHANABERGER.

TRO LLEY CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, I920.

1,437780- Patented Dec.'5, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHQET w- Fl 5.1. l

WITNESSES M/VE/VraR .C. W.- SHANABERGER. TROLLEY ()ONTROLLER. APPLICATION FfLED JUNE I, 1920.

7,78 Patented 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES Patented Dec. 3?,

ir-1s onnnnns w. snanaennena,

OI! ARRD'QZ PENNSYLVANIA.

TRQLLEY CONTROLLER.

Application filed June 1,

To. all iii/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crunnns N. SHANIr minors, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Arrow, in the county of t oincr set and State of lfennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lrolley Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

lvly invention rel tives for mining and other industrial pun poses and consists in mechanism for lowering and shifting the locomotive trolley. Hitherto when it has l eon desir the trolley or to replace it itaccideutally dislodged "from the power wire, the operator was compelled to leave the car or or the top of same. Both of these actionsare inconvenient and, at times. fraught with no small amount of ljn some restricted passages. they are impossible. Often the locomotive is operated with the trolley running baclnvards because it is inconvenient or impractical to shift it. It is well known that the diliiculty outlined here is responsible annually for large numbers of serious accidents.

The object of my invention is to avoid these dilliculties by enabling the operator to control the trolley from his position on the locomotive. a i i In the accompanying drawings which il lustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of mine locomotive equipped with device; Fig. is a similar elevation, on lap L/ scale, of the trolley mounting and itsoperatingr mechanism; Fig. 3 is a verticalsection thru an elevation of the elements shown in lli 2. and Figs. 4 and 5 are a section and elevation. respectively, of details referred to hereinafter.

Secured to the locomotive frame is a cylindrical bracket 1. 'lele coped therein is a 7 rotatable cylinder 2 which pivotally supports the locomotive trollejji The latter is yieldingly maintained in i s erect position by a vertical rod e slidin y and rotatably mounted in cylinder Complete and convenient control of the trolley by the operator is secured by providing means. operable from his seat for lowering rod 4 and rotating: cylinder 2.

Two integral ears 5 extend upwardly from the top of cylinder 2 and mount a horizontal pivot member 6 for the trolley arm. Rod 4 utes to electric locomoed to shift 1928. Serial Ho. 335,683.

screwed thereonitorms an upper, sliding bearing for the rod in cylinder 2 and also forms a seat 1" r a coil spring 9 which is compressed between nut 8 and the lower end of cylinder 2 and. consequently tends to raise rod 4: but limited in this tendency by the we engagement of the arm with the trolley wire 10. p e

A. segmental soclet member 11 is pivotally mounted on rod at 12 and it journals a plurality of rollers 13 which are arcuately ioht ol. the trolley arm on rods and the disposed and form an antili'riction seat for the round portion 14: of the trolley arm. The lower end of rod t extends thru central openings in cylinder 2, bracket 1 and a rack element 15 which is slidingly mounted between. downwardly projecting flanges 16 on braclretl. Rack 15 is rectangular in sec- I tion which prevents its rotation between flanges A collar 17 is pinned to the lower end of rod send an anti-friction thrust bearing 18 is positioned between the collar loand rack 15. A; pinion 19 is journaledin see 16 and is provided with an integral radial lever arm 20 whereby. the

pinion 'inay be rotated and the rack moved accordingly. a p I I y Obviously the movement of arm 20 in an anti-clockwise direction will move rack 15 rod l downwardly compre. sing spring 9 and permitting; theweight oi'itrolley arm 3 to lower'thetrolley wheel from. the power wire. Arn'i 20 maybe actuated bythe locomotive operator at a point remote from the arm by means of a cable 21. secured at one end to arm 20. passing}; over a sheave 22 and secured at the other end to a'lever 23 lulcrumed on the locomotive frame convenient to the operators hand. As shown, the lever 23 is located at point adjacent to theoperators station is provided with tel ratchet and handle actuated ratchet-1 engaging. pin for locking}; the lever in posi tion to ruin the trolley in a lowered position. When arm 20 is released. spnngt will raise rodl and trolley arm 3 as tar wire 10 or as rack 15 (which is an elongated washer between-the bottom of bracket 1 and l wring will permit.

The upper portion of cylinder is equipped with a horizontal sprocket 2e and a chain 25:3 connects same with a sprocket 25 mounted on the locomotive frame adjacent lever 23 and at a p ointconvenient to the 27 by which it may be turned and the trolley rotated on its mounting. Lever 2Z3 and sprocket 26 and the parts controlled Ly the-1n cooperate to give the operator complete control of the trolley arm without leaving his position.

In the drawings, 1 have shown a motion retarding device located between the trolley arm and its rotatable support- 24;. As shown, an open ended cylinder 28 is mounted on tl arm 3 and is provided v; 'tl a piston 29 which projects into the open end thereof, is recip rocable relatively thereto, and is guided by means of a guide mounted on the trolley area. As shown, the piston 29 is operatively connected to the brackets 5 by means of a pair of links 30. The forward end of the cylinder is provided with an air port 2-31 for establishing communication between the exterior and interior of the cylinder. This port is controlled by a ball check 32 suitably caged and so located as to respond to increased pressure within the cylind r and close the port 31. A restricted aperture 3 is provided in the cylinder wall and is in open communication with the exterior of the cylinder and the atmosphere. ll ith this arrangement, the trolley arm may be readily shifted, but an upward swing will be retarded by the confined air within the piston which cannot escape except through the restrictedport 33. A downward swing of the arm will retract the piston, with relation to the cylinder, and the valve 32 will open in response to the reduction in pressure within the cylinder and will permit a free flow of air into the cylinder.

It may be desirable to mount the operating lever and sprocket at either right or left of the bracket 1 and I provide the bracket with sheave and pinion mountings onboth sides so that it is unnecessary to manufacture the bracket in right hand and left hand models and also making it possible to reverse the position of the operating lever and sprocket at any time after its assembly with the locomotive, it occasion therefor arises. This accomplished by shifting sheave 22 and pin ion 19 to the opposite sideof the bracket and by removing nut 17 to permit reversal of rack 15. This detail is optional and but one of the likely modifications which ll contemplate in the commercial development of my invention without involving any departure from its principles.

I claim: 1.111 a trolley controller, a bracket, a. member journaled therein to rotate about a vertical axis and provided with a bearing adapted to pivot one end of a trolley arm, a rod positioned axially of said member and provided with a trolleyarm engaging element at its upper end, a spring adapted to push said rod upwardly, a vertical rack secured on said rod, a pinion mounted on said bracket and meshing with said rack, means for rotating said member about its axis and independent means for rotating said pinion, both of said means being operative from a point remote from said bracket.

2-. in a. trolley arm mounting, a horizontal pivot for the trolley arm and adjacent the end thereof, an arcuate edge on said. arm adjacent said pivot and facing downwardly, an arcuate bearing for said edge having a horizontal pivot on a bearing support member, and yielding means for upholding said support memberand upholding said trolley arm through said arcuate pivoted bearing.

8. A trolley arm mounting, comprising a fixed support, a trolley arm support rotatively mounted thereon, a trolley arm pivotally mounted on said rotatable support, a reciprocable arm-actuating member mounted on said rotatable support, means for reciprocating said member, means for rotating said rotatable support, and separate means located remote from said arm for controlling both 03 said last mentioned means.

4. A trolley arm mounting comprising a fixed support, a trolley arm support rotatively mounted thereon and having a cylindrical extension projecting into an aperture of the fixed support, a trolley arm pivotally mounted on said rotatable support, a reciprocable arm-actuating member extending through the cylindrical extension of said arm support and op ratively engaging said arm, a coiled spring surrounding said memher and surrounded by said extension and operating between said member and said arm support to normally hold said arm upwardly, means for reciprocating said member and means for rotating said arm support.

5. A trolley arm mounting comprising a fixed support, an arm support rotatix' ely mounted thereon, a trolley arm pivoted on said arm support to swing ll] a vertical plane and having a curved bearing surface formed thereon adjacent the pivoted end thereof, an arm-actuating member reciprocatively mounted. on said rotatable support, an arcuate bearing pivotally mounted on said memher and engaging the curved bearing surface of said arm, and a spring acting between said arm support and said member for holding said bearing in supporting engagement with said arm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day or": May, 1920.

CHARLES W. SHANABERGER. 

